Begin Again
by Dulaman
Summary: Eveleen Garcia returns to Hogwarts after spending the last six years living as a muggle. She will have to face the ghosts of her past and the future that could never be. Stet during OotP I own nothing but the OC


Chapter One

The house was located in a corner street, in a neighborhood that clearly had seen better times. In the time he had spent out in the cold air, Dumbledore kept checking his pocket watch. A few minutes later a bus stopped and a young woman jumped out while it was still moving a little bit. She had short blond hair, a few centimeters below her ears, her big purse hung from a long band on her right shoulder and she held so many folders in her left hand it looked like they would fall out at any second. She dressed like a teacher; well a muggle teacher and no one would have given her a second thought if it wasn't that as soon as she stepped on the sidewalk and her eyes met Dumbledore, her face transfigured into a mix of fear and confusion. She quickly walked the few meters that separated her from the door while digging her bag in order to find her keys.

"You might as well come in" She said "it's so cold out here, I'll make coffee"

She kept looking forward, to the door, trying to open it but the lock seemed stuck. Finally, when it gave in she stepped inside. Dumbledore started walking towards the open door. Wherever they were it wasn't the warm English summer and the humid cold was starting to penetrate his bones.

The inside of the house wasn't really inviting, a single room held the kitchen, a small table with four chairs around it and to his left side were two big chairs facing a television. Three walls were naked, not a single picture or painting decorating the old yellow-white painting. The wall standing in front of him had two doors, one open letting the green tiles of the bathroom play with the dimming sunlight that came through the open door and the windows. The other door, Dumbledore presumed it was the bedroom, was closed almost fully.

"I never thought I'll see you're here" The girl spoke.

"Eveleen, my child, it's been very long" Dumbledore approached her but she backed away moving towards the kitchen to fill up the kettle with water. He sighted and walked towards the chairs examining the television. "I never understood these things you know, I fear that if you spend too much time looking at it you might lose some of your intelligence"

"Mybe, but is good company"

"Oh, yes yes, I believe you lack that nowadays"

"I know why you're here Albus, and my answer hasn't changed, you have wasted your time coming here I'm afraid" She poured the water into two cups and the liquid instantly turned a dark shade of brown. The sweet smell of coffee filled the small room. She carried them to the table and gestured for him to sit down. He obliged and took one of the cups in his hand.

"Would you let me do something about the temperature of this room?"

"NO!" she spoke in a cutting tone and Dumbledore put his wand away at once. "I get by just fine you know, I have a job and I can provide for myself, and you might think I do not have much but I have my peace and that is priceless"

"Oh yes, a job, you teach English in a private school on the week days and then on Sundays you scatter to the worst side of town and help children with their homework in a community center"

"How do you…" She stopped mid-sentence, of course he would know that, he always seemed to know everything. "I'm not coming Albus, no matter what you say"

"He's back Eveleen" Her eyes widened, the cup fell from her hand and broke into countless pieces once it hit the floor. She did not move, or even flinch for what seemed an eternal moment.

"Are you…"

"Yes I'm sure, Harry saw him a couple of weeks ago during the Tri Wizarding Tournament"

"Harry was in the…"

"Oh yes, would you like to hear about him?" She stayed silent and Dumbledore proceeded to tell her the story of how Harry Potter came to be the fourth Champion, and then how he and his friend Hermione Granger helped Sirius Black, and how he fought Tom Riddle in his second year and all about Professor Quirrel. By the time Dumbledore was done talking night had arrived and the sky was pitch black.

"I believe all this information might be a lot to take in for you, but I must ask you to see reason, he needs you, we all do"

She wiped the tears that rolled through her cheeks with the back of her shirt, once white now stained with black mascara.

"I'm not sure if I can do it"

"You can and you must, you made a promise…"

"Oh I'm very well aware of my promise but as I seem to recall you were one of the people that stood in the way all those years ago" Her voice was cut with anger and tears about to burst from her eyes again.

"I had my reasons to do it…"

"Reasons you wouldn't share with me, reasons I didn't know existed until I exhausted my last plea and lost all hope"

"It would only have caused you more pain to know. You were not meant to find out"

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" She stood from her chair. "Go, leave now"

"I will only leave this house with you by my side"

"Then you are in for a rough awakening"

"Eveleen you need to understand!"

"No! You need to understand that I left that world 6 years ago and I swore I would never go back! I have a life now, it might be simple and whatever else you think of it but it is mine, and for once I make the decisions and answer to no one but myself"

"Yes, you've said this but let me ask you this, why then would you keep in contact with Professor Binns? Why write to him? Why read his letters and treasure them as you most certainly do? You are still linked strongly to us, to him whether you like it or not, and you still care"

"Those letters are private; you had no business reading them…"

"And I never did, all I did was read the envelope"

"That's how you found me…"

"You seem almost disappointed that it was so easy"

She disregarded his last comment "Cuthbert and I have stayed in touch, and yes he told me about everything that has happened over the years, but I never asked him to"

"But you still replied and that's what matters, you care, you always had and always will"

She sunk into the chair, defeated: "What is it that you'll have me do then?"

"Come back to Hogwarts, Cuthbert wants to retire, finally, we need a new History teacher and I think you'll do just fine, you can be close to Harry"

"Teach?"

"It's what you do here isn't it? You can teach what you actually like, History at Hogwarts "

She looked up at him but said nothing.

"He will need you, through these troubled times, he will turn to you, for help, for guidance and you can give that to him and Harry would want to know his godmother"

"You win Albus, I'll do it. I'll come back and do your will as I always have"

"My dear child don't say that"

"Stop, I don't want to discuss this anymore. I will need help packing, as you might remember I do not have a wand anymore"

"We'll have to take care of that"  
"Yes, we will, but now, please, before I regret it" She gestured towards her room. Dumbledore flicked his wand and boxes appear out of thin air, another move and everything that Eveleen had ever possessed started packing itself neatly. After a few minutes only the furniture remained.

"I will have this sent to Hogwarts, now, let's get back to London, Ollivander's won't open for a couple of hours, and we'll get some breakfast first." She picked up her bag and followed him through the door.

"Could I ask you for something?" He nodded "I want to keep this house, could you…" He cut her mid-sentence and took his wand casting protective spells around the property.

"There, now only you and I can see it"

"Thanks" She grabbed hold of his arm as they left the small town in South America with its humid winter and reached the hot London summer.

SOOOOO! Hope you guys and girls liked this! The idea has been dancing in my brain for quite some time now and I just wanted to put it on paper. Let me know what you think!

Lots of love!

BTW: I'm not a native English speaker so I apologize for grammar mistakes and if anybody wants to beta for me I'd be thrilled!


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